11/13/16

The off season leagues have progressed enough to comment on a few of the boys down south; how are they doing? Or not doing?HITTERS:Champ Stuart - hitting .339 with 2 walks and 20 strikeouts in 62 plate appearances. A fine average, but a higher strikeout rate than...Tim Tebow. Champ's Achilles heel. One wishes he could play 12 months a year and eventually kick this strikeout thing, that has seen him K in a too high 464 times in 1,418 minor league plate appearances, 1 every 3 plate appearances.Phil Evans - .344/.432/.500 in 8 games, with 8 RBI. Our AA batting champ at .335 is fighting his way from outer space to onto the radar screen. Gavin Cecchini - solid performance with .283/.353/.455 in 14 games. Given his defensive struggles, is Phil Evans about to pas him by, though?Tim Tebow - still just .157, but 8 for his last 38 (.211) with 5 walks and a game winning walk off hit. Holding his own. Getting better. Working like heck. No one thought TJ Rivera would succeed either.Matt Oberste - started out rustier than a 10 year old 1967 Impala in salt spreader country in wintry Buffalo. Now 6 for 41 - hard to make that terrible 0 for 25 start all at once. PITCHERS:Innings for all are low, so let's go with two leading indicators: WHIP, and K/9.WHIP:Paul Sewald: 0.64Jose Medina: 0.87Corey Taylor 1.08Dave Roseboom: 1.16Marcos Molina: 1.28Nabil Crismatt: 1.30K/9:Roseboom: 15 in 10.1 IPTaylor: 13 in 12 IP (just 1 BB)Crismatt: 10 in 12 IPCorey Oswalt: 18 in 22 IP (but 9 BB)Sewald: 9 K in 14 IP (but no BB)